Building a complete and effective website truly is a process. In this post we’ll take a brief look at the various steps that lead to a successful project. Of course, this will vary from case-to-case, but this is a pretty standard order of events.
1. Needs Analysis
I believe that it’s
important to have a good idea of what you want or need from your
website before you really get into the process. Some business owners
that decide to have a website built or redesigned
simply don’t consider exactly why they are doing it, and what they need
to get out of the final product. This is a critical first step, because
without knowing exactly where you want the project to go, it will come
up short in one way or another.
Take some time and think about
your customers and website visitors. What specifically will they need
from your website, and what style of site are they going to appreciate?
What is it that your business needs from the website?
2. Finding the Right Designer
Finding the right designer/developer
for your specific project is also critical. I feel that a needs
analysis should be done prior to choosing a designer, because the
designer that you choose should be a good fit for the needs of your
website. Many business owners simply hire a designer without really
paying attention to their strengths and weaknesses, and then they
expect to get the best results without necessarily having a good fit.
If your needs analysis shows that you need a flash-based website
, you now know that you should focus your search on designers that
specialize in building flash-based sites. Likewise, if you need a large
database-driven e-commerce site, you’re not going to want to hire a
designer who has no experience with this type of site. Some designers
and developers are able to do just about anything you need, but
everyone will have strengths and weakness that should be a part of the
decision-making process.
3. Establishment of Priorities
Once
the designer has been chosen, the client and designer should discuss
the needs of the client and establish some priorities for the project.
During this time the designer will get a feel for specifically what the
client is looking for, and ideally the discussion between the two
parties will help to create some clarity for the designer about the
appropriate direction to pursue.
4. Mockup
Now
that the designer knows what is needed, he or she can start working on
the first mockup of the site. Many designers start the process by
working in Photoshop to create a mockup, so that changes and revisions
can be made quickly, and to avoid taking the time to code something
that the client may not like. Once the mockup is complete it can be presented for feedback.
5. Implementation of Feedback
In
order to get a website that will ultimately meet the needs of your
business, you need to be involved in the process by sharing your
opinions and suggestions with the designer. No designer will know your
business or your customers like you do. There is usually a good bit of
back and forth between the designer and the client at this stage before
the project reaches the satisfaction of everyone.
6. Testing
Once
the design is pretty much in place and both the designer and the client
are satisfied, testing should begin. Throughout the earlier stages the
designer has most likely been doing some type of testing in various browsers
to be sure that the site is ok in all of the major browsers, but the
testing will often go a bit further at this point. This is a good time
for the client to also scour the site and make sure that there are no
mistakes or inaccuracies anywhere.
7. Final Design
Now
that both parties are satisfied and the necessary testing is complete,
any final changes or corrections should be made. This could be
something that resulted from testing, or just correcting some typos,
dead links, etc. At this stage the site is essentially complete.
8. Launch
Once
the site is ready to be seen by the world, the official launch should
take place. At this time the site goes live and visitors will see the
finished product. Frequently when a website is redesigned, the business
will contact existing customers or members of a mailing address to
notify them of the redesign and let them know about some new features
that are available at the site. From my experience this is an important
part of the process because you can generate some buzz from people who
are already familiar with you, and you can get a quick jump in traffic
during the first few days following the launch.
9. Marketing & Promotions
Almost
all successful websites will need to be marketed or promoted in some
way. In order to get the most out of the website, a marketing plan
should be developed. You’ve spent time and money building a great
website, now you need to get people to see it.
10. Plans for Updates/Changes/Additions
Every
website will need to be updated at some point, and some will be updated
almost constantly. How frequently will your site need to be updated and
who will be responsible for making the changes? You may want to
continue to hire the designer to perform these services, or you could
hire someone else or keep it within your company. What strategy you
choose should fit the needs of your business, but it should certainly
be considered or you’ll find yourself with outdated content on your
site a few months down the road.
What’s Your Experience?
Is there anything you would add or change from your experience?
[ vandelaydesign ]
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